Æ21 - Galba ΕΠΙ ΑΡΧΙ ΠΕΜΠΤΙΔΟΥ, ΘΗΒΑΙΩΝ, Thebes

Thebes had been a diminished political force for centuries by the time this coin was struck — the city that once dominated Greek affairs was, under Roman rule, a minor Boeotian town issuing bronze for purely local use. The magistrate named in the legend, whose office title appears as archon, represents one of the few documented civic officials from Thebes in the Julio-Claudian to Flavian transition. Galba's reign lasted just seven months before his murder in January 69 AD, making any provincial issue struck in his name inherently short-lived in production.